tomorrow night, wednesday, the first of these four debates, three between mr. romney and mr. obama. tomorrow is the first that we will see them on the same stage. in advance of that debate tomorrow night, yesterday in "the wall street journal" mr. romney had a piece. the piece was titled "a new course for the middle east," but he raises some domestic issues, . "in recent years, president obama has allowed our leadership to atrophy. our economy is stuck in a recovery that is clearly deserves the name. our national debt has risen to record levels. our military tested by a decade of war is facing cuts based to that -- thanks to the budgetary games played by the white house. our values have been misunderstood by a president who thinks that weakness will win favor with our adversaries. by failing to maintain the elements of our influence and by stepping away from our allies, president obama has heightened the prospect of conflict and instability. he does not understand that an american policy that letses rult can provoke a precedent and encouraged this order." two paris. let me take them